Picture this: SeaWorld Orlando, 1994. A ballroom beneath a shark tank. MasterCard’s global security leaders sip coffee while a freshman Congressman boasts about his first-year legacy: 185,000 new pages of federal regulations.
I raised my hand.
“Sir, I’ve lived in four countries, held multiple passports and licenses. How is the average citizen supposed to keep up with 185,000 pages of new law?”
He didn’t flinch. “Hire some lawyers,” he said.
That moment exposed the real business of modern law: confuse the people, then sell them the cure.
Fast forward to 2024. All I wanted was a peaceful little water garden in my backyard—until the HOA at ReserveAtDemere.org turned it into a legal siege. No clear rules. No searchable documents. No fair hearing. Just one answer: “Hire some lawyers.”
The Dunbar Threshold: Where Transparency Dies
Anthropologist Robin Dunbar’s work showed that human communities function best under ~150 members—the so-called Dunbar Number. Beyond that, we lose track of each other, and **formal rule systems emerge**.
But Dunbar didn’t foresee this: a professional class that multiplies complexity, not to clarify it—but to control it.
Once we cross Dunbar’s threshold, the “lawyer” emerges—not as a protector of justice, but as a necessary interpreter of ever-thickening rules. A priesthood of paperwork.
From 613 to 185,000,000: The Industrialization of Law
Once Upon a Time: Law for Humans
613 commandments. That was the original rulebook in ancient Israel. Memorized, repeated, sung aloud. Law was for the people, not against them.
Now: Law for Lawyers
One freshman Congressman. 185,000 pages in a single year. Times 535 lawmakers, 30 years, 50 states, thousands of municipalities, plus every HOA, contract, license, tax code, zoning clause, and medical form.
And most of it unreadable, unsearchable, and unenforceable without paid help. The law has become a commodity sold back to us.
The Legal Class: Gatekeepers of Confusion
Let’s be honest. The legal industry discovered a business model unlike any other:
- Write laws no one can understand without lawyers
- Interpret the chaos for a fee
- Profit from fear of error and punishment
And yes, many lawyers fight for justice. But the system is built for gatekeeping, not guidance. Complexity is not an accident—it’s a business model.
HOAs: Where Democracy Goes to Die
Enter: The Reserve at Demere. A small Georgia community with big legal teeth. A management company paid by the residents but seemingly aligned only with itself. A Board elected by too few, and governed by no clear transparency.
My Offense? A Water Garden.
- HOA documents provided only as unsearchable, 20-year-old PDFs
- Clear 2024 “Rules” said “tasteful and harmonious landscaping” was permitted
- No centralized, up-to-date source of truth
- Conflicting answers depending on who you ask
- And finally, the threat: “hire some lawyers.”
Let That Sink In.
The Board of Directors at ReserveAtDemere.org—a group of volunteers—invoked legal enforcement against a retired homeowner, not for breaking the law, but for interpreting it as any rational human would. Their solution? Make it expensive enough that I give up.
The Constitutional Crisis: When the Law Itself is the Crime
The U.S. Constitution promises “due process.” But what happens when the process itself is a maze? When no reasonable person can follow the rules because the rules are buried under years of edits, bad scans, and legalese?
This isn’t just about ponds. It’s about power. And clarity. And whether the people govern, or the professionals do.
Golden Rule Governance: A Path Out of the Swamp
At andreae.com/goldenrule, I propose something radical and simple: Go back to what every great tradition once taught.
“Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.”
This isn’t utopia. It’s practical ethics. The Golden Rule doesn’t require lawyers. Just courage, clarity, and compassion.
What That Would Look Like
- Rules written in language real people understand
- Documents searchable and easy to find
- Good faith treated with respect, not fines
- Conflicts resolved with empathy, not intimidation
The Reform We Need: Five Simple Fixes
- Accessibility: All governing documents must be digital, searchable, and centralized
- Plain Language: Rewrite legal text for 8th-grade comprehension
- Presumption of Good Faith: If a citizen follows a published rule in good faith, they cannot be penalized
- Conflict Favors Citizen: Ambiguity must be resolved in favor of the resident
- Ethical Oversight: Boards and managers should follow the Golden Rule or lose authority
The Bottom Line: Power Hides in Complexity
What my HOA showed me is what every citizen faces: **we are governed by documents we cannot read, written by people we cannot name, enforced by systems we cannot afford to challenge.**
It’s time we say: Enough.
Conclusion: You Shouldn’t Have to “Hire Some Lawyers” to Live in Peace
To the Boards and managers hiding behind outdated PDFs, unclear guidance, and threats of litigation: **You are not defenders of community. You are saboteurs of it.**
To citizens everywhere: You have the right to understand the rules you’re told to follow.
The future belongs to those who govern by principle—not profit. And it begins when we reclaim one idea so old, it feels brand new:
Treat others as you wish to be treated.
If you’ve ever been told to “hire some lawyers” just to live your life—share this post.
And if you want to be part of a community that lives by principle, not bureaucracy, visit andreae.com/goldenrule.
